Mag is Magic in Winter Festival fastest

TRAPRISE

Amongst the highlight fixtures in any season of the modern racing era, the 2025 Winter Festival attracted a plethora of stars to Shelbourne Park on Saturday, and amidst intense competition for significant prize pots, highlight for our local travelling support arrived through the brilliant Magical Mag (Ballymac Cashout-Mystical Luna).

On the back of her classy victory in the Lifford Oaks final last time out, the Pat Guilfoyle owned and trained December 2022 whelp turned attentions back to the capital for the AA0 Bitch 525 event and despite wider than optimum in trap 5, produced another of her slick breaks to immediately take command of a hot contest.

In an increasingly familiar and pleasing picture, the Moneygall speedster established a one-length lead while reaching full stride and fending off Imokilly Roxanne before tackling the opening bend, galloped dismissively clear while turning. Reaching her six-length winning margin before halfway, Magical Mag competed a virtual solo passage in commanding style. Posting a stunning 28.13 ahead of recent Puppy Oaks winner Ballydoyle Tina, Mag cements her place as a stand-out performer of the 2025 season.

A highlight of many on the festival programme saw Derby champion Cheap Sandwiches return to action for victory in the Championship 550 but the remainder proved frustrating for local hopefuls with Magical Sapphire and Magical On Fire both settling for high-class runner-up finishes in their respective events, which preceded an agonising defeat for Coosane Pickles in the concluding Championship 600. Seeking a four-timer at Shelbourne, Clement Ryan’s star failed by a shorthead to reel-in De Ladedah within an epic 32.32 tussle.

Flash leads local trio to Limerick final

Limerick was busy with sweepstake activity over last weekend and attracting the bulk of local attention on Friday was the Mace Shannon A1 Dual Distance Stake where the Toomevara Six Syndicate’s Toomevara Flash (Malachi-Rifles Flash) led the assault while gamely securing her fourth race victory.

Back in action after a two-month break, Michael Delaney’s June 2023 whelp was scoring for the fourth time in her latest five outings when breaking well from trap 3 in the opening semi. Tracking a fast-starting rival in the early exchanges, she displayed sharp pace on the run to the corner, ranging up on the inside to lead while turning. A length to the good all along the backstraight, Toomevara Flash had rivals on her tail throughout but defiant on the bunny, retained a half-length winning margin at the line in 30.30.

The opposing semi-final was won in faster time, and 30.13 scorer Smart King will be a significant obstacle come Sunday evening’s final showdown. However, that winner was chased to the line by a brace of further local challengers as Magical Poppet (Dorotas Wildcat-Magical Poppy) caught the eye through traffic to fill second at a one and a half-length deficit, with the John Byrne trained Rockstar Willie (Ballymac Cashout-Aayamza Royale) advancing in third while only a further neck adrift.

A repeat draw in trap 3 for the final sees Toomevara Flash on the immediate outside of Smart King and her task will be to lead that rival on the run to the corner. Should that go to plan, the final offers all three of our finalist’s viable win claims but with the distance climbing to 600-yards, the vote goes to Magical Poppet.

Banker and Bono score at Thurles

Saturday’s fixture at Thurles again proved fruitful for local challengers as firstly, young Darragh Meagher’s Bottle Banker (Ballymac Cashout-Sive To One) doubled her win tally in the Tipperary Homes For Hounds A7 525.

A winner in the same grade last month before a troubled passage while third on her most recent outing, the March 2024 whelp was again just moderately to stride from an ideal trap 1 berth this time and reached the corner with two lengths to recover on an early paced leader.

Establishing herself in second while turning however, the Meagher winner remained within two lengths to the backstraight and stamped her authority on the race from that point. Readily striking the front with superior pace on the run to the closing bends, Bottle Banker completed with the minimum of fuss thereafter and posting 29.87 with a snug four and a half lengths to spare, will prove tough to contain without a rise on the grading ladder next time.

Later, on the same Thurles card, the RCETS App Update Weekly A4 525 delivered a thrilling eighth victory within a highly competitive career for Pat Kennedy’s Ballinalick Bono (Broadstrand Bono-Ballinalick Rua).

Ending a frustrating spell since last successful at A3 level back in August, the December 2021 whelp produced one of his better starts from trap 5 on Saturday and displaying smart dash, reached the opening bend with a narrow lead on the outside of the field. Extending to a two-length advantage at the top of the backstraight having galloped the turns smoothly, the Kennedy winner continued to dictate before finding a rival on his tail beyond the third turn.

Resolute on the bunny however, Ballinalick Bono held strong in the home stretch, fending off his closest pursuer for a gutsy head verdict in 29.52 and will avoid an upgrade from this highly appealing grade for his next appearance!